Easy opening container construction



Jan. 24, 1967 E. E. OWENS 3,300,118

EASY OPENING CONTAINER CONSTRUCTIObi Filed Jan. 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGA k I N By 7 a. g, Wot/V571;

Jan. 24, 1967 E. E. OWENS EASY OPENING CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 21, 1966 FOE QUE

United States Patent Ofiice 3,30031 l8 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 3 300 118 EASY OPENING CoSITAINER CONSTRUQTION Emert E. Owens, Lemay, M0., assignor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 522,064 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) This invention relates to improvements in the construction of containers made of fiber material, and is particularly concerned with the provision of means to open the container in an easy way, avoid contamination to the contents and permit reclosure thereof.

The frozen juice industry has long needed a container of inexpensive, reclosable construction but exceedingly simple to open without incurring contamination or loss of contents. Metallic containers are not the best answer because of the need to have an adequate opener of hand or motor operated type, and metals incur the risk of deterioration and taste contamination. Paper or fiber body containers are not easily openable unless the means to efiect such opening is a part of the structure. There is, of course, the problem of preventing liquids from escaping through leaks which is difficult with juices as the wicking effect of paper or fiber materials is especially hard to prevent, and it is doubly hard to prevent where the container has opening means that requires severing the wall material at some place.

It is an important object of this invention to construct a simple fiber container with easy opening means that effectively prevents wicking and leakage of liquid contents, such as frozen juices.

It is also an important object of the invention to provide a fiber or paperboard container with means to effect its opening operation without the aid of hand or power operated openers and to prevent contamination to the contents.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container with external easy opening tear means, such as tape or string, which does not interfere with sealing the opening break from the exterior and also to incorporate internal sealing means to seal in the contents and resist shipping stresses and temperature variations.

A further object of this invention is to provide an easy open container for fluid or dry type contents with a reclosable portion so that immediate use of the entire contents is not required, and the container can be used to store the unused portion of the contents.

A preferred container construction having the features and advantages enumerated above comprises a fiber body of convolutely Wound construction in which a portion thereof near one end is severed to form a strong telescoping fit, means to seal the interior of the body and guard the severed portion against escape and wicking of the moisture and liquid portion of the contents, and easy opening means incorporated in the exterior label wrapper arranged to be easily located and to establish a positive exposure of the'exterior severance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in connection with the description of a preferred embodiment, and with reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the completed container embodying the features of the invention, a portion of the label being broken away to show details thereof;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tubular body with the label ply partly unwrapped to reveal details of the assembly;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container with the tear tape opening device partly actuated;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the label ply prior to incorpo rating it into the completed container;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary and greatly enlarged sectional view of the container as seen at line 5-5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevational view of the label and tape preparing and winding apparatus; and

FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged plan view of portions of the apparatus schematically shown in FIG. 6.

In FIG. 1 the preferred container 10 has a convolutely wound body 11 made in accordance with the body shown in the Thomas F. Barnes Patent 2,638,820 granted May 19, 1953. The body 11 is cut from a tubular stick which is convolutely wound on conventional apparatus (not necessary to show), a label 12 is applied to the exterior surface of body 11 by suitable adhesive, and end closures 13 and 14 are seamed on the body, also by suitable apparatus (not shown).

As described in the said Barnes patent, the body 11 is convolutely wound of a strip or blank of fiber or paper stock which is sufficiently long to provide at least three plies or thicknesses 15, 16 and 17 in the wall of the finished container. The ply 15 begins at inner end 15a and continues for one full turn, ply 16 being wound over ply 15 and ply 17 being wound over ply 16 and ending at 17a. As may be seen in FIG. 2 the body 11 is severed along the outer circumferential line 18 and the line of severance extends for slightly more than one complete turn of the body, ending at a transverse or axially directed cut line 19 (FIG. 5). In other words the out line 19 extends longitudinally of the body 11. The transverse cut 19 marks the beginning of an innermost line of severance 20 which proceeds circumferentially (FIGS. 2 and 5) through the inner plies 16 and 15 and terminates at end 15a of the innermost ply 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the innermost line of severance 20 is closer to the end cover 14 than the outermost line of severance 18 in the outer ply 17, thereby forming an inner axial flange on the longer body portion 11a which is received in an outer axial flange on the shorter body portion 11b. The several plies 15, 16 and 17 are adhesively bonded together except for the area between severance lines 18 and 20 where the slip fit is desired.

The convolutely wound 'body 11 is given an internal sealing coat 21 of a suitable sealant material which is sprayed on to a desired thickness to fully cover the inner severance line 20 and seal the end 15a against wicking. The coating 21 is of such character that it may \be easily fractured upon opening, thereby offering little resistance to the opening operation.

As seen in FIGS. 1 to 4, the label lply 22 is convolutely wound over the body ply 17, and one end 22a is lapped by the other end 22b. A marginal portion of end 22b is indicated by the broken line 23 and in this portion an adhesive is applied for securing end 2212 over end 22a. A tear tape 25 is adhered to the label ply in the position shown in FIG. 4 so that it substantially overlies the outer severance line 18 in ply 17. In forming the label lply 22 from a supply reel of label stock, a cutting operation is performed which leaves tab 24 at end 22b of one label and leaves a recess 24a at the opposite end 22a of another label. The tear tape 25 is cut at the same time, as shown. A feature of the easy opening action of the tape 25 is to form the tab 24 by slightly over-cutting along label end 22b at out extensions 26 which are normal to the tape 25, and by slightly over-cutting parallel to the tape 25 at each side at cut extensions 27. The over-cutting makes it possible to obtain a clean break with the margins of the recess 24a from which tab 24 is formed and causes a clean starting tear in the label 22 so that the tearing of the label is substantially uniform as it proceeds around the :body, as in FIG. 3.

Turning now to FIGS. 6 and 7 it can 'be seen that the convolutely wound body 11 is supported on a suitable winding mandrel 28 and is located adjacent a margin of the label applying table 29 which is reciprocated by a suitable mechanical ram 30. The label stock 22 which is three labels wide is fed from a supply reel (not shown) under a first roll 31 and over a second roll 32. The stock 22 then passes between a pair of rolls adjacent the table 29, roll 33 being a back-up idler roll and roll 34 being a powered feed rolrl having a friction covering 35 thereon to grip the label stock under the Weight of roll 33. A tear tape reel 36 (there being one for each label) holds a supply of the tear tape 25 which is fed to an applicator roll 37 where a coating of a suitable adhesive is applied from the pot 38, the roll 37 dipping into the pot 38 to pick up the adhesive and apply it to the under surface of tape 25. Tension control rolls 39 and 40 are operatively disposed adjacent applicator roll 37. The coated tape 25 is then picked up by the label 22 and the two parts move together toward table 29 under the pull exerted by the feed roll 34. In FIG. 7 there is shown a ribbon of label stock 22 which is three containers wide, thereby requiring three ribbons of tape 25. The width of the label stock 22 and the number of tape ribbons 25 may be varied in practice.

The forming of the tabs 24 occurs at station A where suitable controllable tab cutters 41 are positioned, each having a U-shaped cutting plunger 42. The plungers 42 form the tabs and the over-cuts 27 at the same time in the label stock. The label stock 22 with the tear tapes 25 adhered thereto pass between the feed rolls 33 and 34 and move onto the table 29. The table 29 periodically moves under the action of the means 30 toward the winding mandrel 28 and fixed shears 43. The table 29 carries a cooperating shearing blade 44 at its label receiving end so that the individual labels 22 are severed from the label stock. The shears, 43 are spaced apart so that the gaps therebetween are just as wide as the tape 25 so that the overcuts 26 are formed at the same time as the label cut off while the table 29 moves. Following the action of shears 43 and 44 the trailing margin of the label 22 is given an application of adhesive in the border area defined by the broken line 23 in FIG. 4. The band of adhesive is applied by the roll 45 from a supply source 46. As the table 29 moves the leading edge 22a against the body 11 on mandrel 28 the contact thereof on adhesive on the outside of body 11 and rotation of the mandrel, pulls the label 22 away from the applicator roll 45 and the label is quickly wound onto the body 11 before the table 29 is retracted for the next cycle.

One possible type of control system is schematically shown in FIG. 6, and includes an electric control center 47, an electric eye device 48 wired into the center. Since an intermittent or stop and go motion is required in order to allow time for the action of the tab cutter 41 and the rise and fall of table 29, the electric eye device 48 is set to respond to a repetitive spot or tell-tale mark on the printed side of the label stock 22 to stop the feed rolls 33-34. The feed roll 34 is connected by suitable drive means 49 to a constantly running motor means 50. The drive means 49 is connected to a combination clutch-brake drive device 51 at motor means 50, and a second drive means 52 extends from the shaft of motor means 50 to a one revolution cam 53 having the lobe 54 which periodically actuates an electric switch 55 wired into the control center 47. The operation of this system is such that the motor 50 rotates the cam 53 to actuate switch '55 which releases the brake and applies the clutch to start the feed roll 34. The label is moved onto the table which is in its down position. As a pre-determined spot on the label reaches eye 48 it triggers the eye circuit to disconnect clutch 51 and apply the brake to stop label feed. During the period of stoppage of the feed roll 34, the means 30 actuates or cycles table 29 to cut off the label, form the tabs 24, effect application of the adhesive at roll 45, and return to its starting position. The control system is only schematically shown, as any suitable combination of means may be adopted to carry out the operative cycle generally described herein. After labels have been applied to the container body on mandrel 28 suitable means (not shown) advances the body over the mandrel to a cut-off station where the individual containers are separated.

In the foregoing description there has been set forth a presently preferred container construction adapted especially for the packaging of frozen juice concentrates so that upon opening the container there will be a reclosable cover formed by the short body section 1111, which telescopes over the axial projection on the longer body portion 11a, that is the projection of the body wall axially outwardly of the circumferentially cut line 18. The axial extension terminates at the out line 20 as will be appreciated. The body 11 may be formed of any suitable fiber material and one thereof which has been successfully used is bleached Kraft paper board of approximately 33 lb. weight. The internal sealant material, which is applied preferably by spraying on the inner surface of the body 11, must be suitable for positively sealing the innermost cut 20 so that there will be no leakage of the contents or wicking thereof into the paper board material either along the cut line 20 or along the edge of the starting end 15a of the innermost ply. It is indicated in FIG. 6 that the tape 25 is given an application of adhesive material which has a tacky consistency suitable for retaining the tape 25 in position and for holding the tab 24 against the outer-surface of the label 22 when the container is in the initial condition shown in FIG. 1. However, the tab 24 must not be too tightly adhered which would frustrate the intended easy lift of the tab 24 away from the label surface so that the underlying tape 25 may be easily brought into operation to tear through the label 22 in a circumferential direction as illustrated in its initial action in FIG. 3.

The production system illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is concerned mainly with the joining of the label and tear tape means prior to cutting the ribbon into individual label sections and applying the individual labels to the outer-surface of the container body. The actual application of the label and tear tape to the body 11 takes place at the finishing station represented by the reciprocating table 29. The apparatus shown in FIG. 6 performs in proper timed sequence with the formation of the tabs 24 which simultaneously leaves the recess 24a in the leading edge 22a of the trailing label, followed by the label cut off action at the shears 43 and 44. The action of the table 29 actuates the shear 44 against shear 43 and raises the leading edge 22a of the label into contact with the outer surface of the container body on rotary mandril 28, simultaneously raising the trailing edge 22b of the label into contact with the adhesive applying roller 45. It is appreciated that the roller 45 is set in a position such that it will apply the adhesive only to the edge 22b to a width up to the broken line 23. No adhesive is deposited on the tape 25 in the area of the tab 24 as this is undesirable and will adversely affect the ease with which the tab can be lifted to begin the opening.

In order to avoid having the applicator roller 45 contact the tape 25 and tab 24 (or string if such is used in place of tape), the table 29 is very quickly raised and lowered during a time period just sufiicient to have the leading edge 22a kiss the periphery of the container on the mandril 28 and the surface of roller 45, after which the table 29 recedes so as not to hold the trailing edge 22b overly long at the roller 45. The label 22 will therefore have its leading edge 22a cling to the body 11 on mandril 28 because the drying or setting of the adhesive on the external surface of the body 11 Will have progressed to a point where it will have a very tacky or strong gripping action on the label 22 which immediately will cause the trailing edge 22b to quickly depart from the roller 45 such that the tape 25 (or string) in the area of the tab 24 will not engage the roller 45.

The foregoing description relates to a preferred construction of container, and to means for making the same. However it is intended that variations from the preferred form shall be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An easy to open container comprising: a tubular fiber body having opposite open ends and a plurality of adhesively bonded plies convolutely wound from an internal starting end to an external terminal end, the innermost plies of said body extending from said internal starting end having a circumferential line of severance more closely adjacent one end of said body than the other and forming an innermost cut in the body terminating at an axially directed cut, and the outermost plies of said body extending from said axially directed cut to said terminal end having a circumferential line of severance forming an outermost cut in the body, said outermost cut being spaced from said innermost cut and the circumferentially extending space between said axially spaced cuts forming a band substantially adhesive free; a ply of sealant material on the inner surfaces of said body and extending over said innermost cut line and internal starting end; a label ply adhesively secured to the outside of said body in convolutely wound position to form a structural connection between the body portions on opposite sides of said lines of severance, said label ply having a tab projecting from one end in circumferential alignment with said adhesive free band and a corresponding recess in its opposite end, and said label end with the projecting tab being externally lapped over the opposite end by at least the length of said recess and adhesively secured in said lapped position; a container opening tear means having a starting end underlying said projecting tab and extending circumferentially under said label ply and about the body to said recess, said tear means on being pulled acting to sever said label ply circumferentially substantially at said outermost cut in said body and break the structural connection between the body portions; and means to close the opposite ends of said body, one said closure means being initially mounted on one body end.

2. The container set forth in claim 1 wherein the innermost cut in said body is closer to said one body end than said outermost cut in said body, and the circumferential band between said cuts forms and axially slidable connection between the body portions on each side.

3. The container set forth in claim 1 wherein said tab projecting from said one end of the label is distinguished from said one end by over cuts extending partly into said tab in alignment with said one end and by over cuts extending into said label from said one end at each side of said tab.

4. The container set forth in claim 1 wherein said tear means is a tape having a width substantially equal to said band between said spaced outermost and innermost cuts.

5. The container set forth in claim 1 wherein said ply of sealant material is a flexible coating to conform with the inner surface of said body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,180,541 4/1916 Roden 229-51 3,014,630 12/1961 Whelan et al. 22951 3,142,433 7/1964 Balocca 22951 3,162,346 12/1964 Geist 2294.5

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. M. BOCKENEK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN EASY TO OPEN CONTAINER COMPRISING: A TUBULAR FIBER BODY HAVING OPPOSITE OPEN ENDS AND A PLURALITY OF ADHESIVELY BONDED PLIES CONVOLUTELY WOUND FROM AN INTERNAL STARTING END TO AN EXTERNAL TERMINAL END, THE INNERING END HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL LINE OF SEVERANCE MORE CLOSELY ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID BODY TERMINATING AT AN FORMING AN INNERMOST CUT IN THE BODY TERMINATING AT AN AXIALLY DIRECTED CUT, AND THE OUTERMOST PLIES OF SAID BODY EXTENDING FROM SAID AXIALLY DIRECTED CUT TO SAID TERMINAL END HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL LINE OF SEVERENCE FORMING AN OUTERMOST CUT IN THE BODY, SAID OUTERMOST CUT BEING SPACED FROM SAID INNERMOST CUT AND THE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING SPACE BETWEEN SAID AXIALLY SPACED CUTS FORMING A BAND SUBSTANTIALLY ADHESIVE FREE; A PLY OF SEALANT MATERIAL ON THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID BODY AND EXTENDING OVER SAID INNERMOST CUT LINE AND INTERNAL STARTING END; A LABEL PLY ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE OUTSIDE OF SAID BODY IN CONVOLUTELY WOUND POSITION TO FORM A STRUCTURAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BODY PORTIONS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID LINES OF SEVERANCE, SAID LABEL PLY HAVING A TAB PROJECTING FROM ONE END IN CIRCUMFERENTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ADHESIVE FREE BAND AND A CORRESPONDING RECESS IN ITS OPPOSITE END, AND SAID LABEL END WITH THE PROJECTING TAB BEING EXTERNALLY LAPPED OVER THE OPPOSITE END BY AT LEAST THE LENGTH OF SAID RECESS AND ADHESIVELY SECURED IN SAID LAPPED POSITION; A CONTAINER OPENING TEAR MEANS HAVING A STARTING END UNDERLYING SAID PROJECTING TAB AND EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY UNDER SAID LABEL PLY AND ABOUT THE BODY TO SAID RECESS SAID TEAR MEANS ON BEING PULLED ACTING TO SEVER SAID LABEL PLY CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SUBSTANTIALLY AT SAID OUTERMOST CUT IN SAID BODY AND BREAK THE STRUCTURAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BODY PORTIONS; AND MEANS TO CLOSE THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BODY, ONE SAID CLOSURE MEANS BEING INITIALLY MOUNTED ON ONE BODY END. 